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Owners of JAM's Place share secrets of their gourmet grilled cheese business

By Magdalena WegrzynLongmont Times-Call

Posted:
12/04/2012 09:52:11 PM MST

Updated:
12/04/2012 09:54:31 PM MST

Jeff Oppenheim prepares a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich called the Draconian, which includes green chiles and wasabi aioli, on Nov. 19 at JAM's Place food trailer in Longmont.
(
Matthew Jonas
)

Draconian Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients (for two sandwiches)

2 oz. shredded pepper Jack cheese

2 oz. shredded three-alarm Jack cheese

2 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 tbsp. chopped red onions

6 to 8 tbsp. chopped hatch-roasted green chilies

1 large tomato, cut into 6 to 8 slices

2 tbsp. wasabi aioli (see recipe below)

4 slices green chile bread

3 tbsp. salted butter

Directions

1. In a small pan, sauté the onions and green chilies for about two minutes. Lower heat and keep warm.

2. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place the four slices, buttered side down, on the counter.

3. Mix the three cheeses together, and distribute the mixture evenly over two of the bread slices.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to high heat for about two minutes. Place the slices of bread with cheese, buttered side down, on the skillet and cook for about one minute.

5. Distribute the warmed onions and green chilies over the cheese on each slice of bread. Put three to four slices of tomato on top. Spoon one tablespoon of wasabi aioli over each sandwich.

6. Top with the other slices of bread, buttered side up. Press down with a spatula to hold everything together.

7. Turn the sandwiches with a spatula, pressing firmly to flatten. Cook for one to two more minutes or until underside is toasted. Turn the sandwiches again, press with the spatula, and cook for 30 more seconds, or until the cheese is melted completely. Remove from grill and enjoy.

Wasabi aioli

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tbsp. wasabi powder

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Tips for making the perfect grilled cheese

Use shredded cheese, rather than slices. It melts faster.

Assemble the sandwich on the grill and use ingredients that have already been cooked.

Butter both sides of the bread.

To create an oven effect, cover the sandwich -- you can use an pot lid -- for the first half of the cooking time. Most sandwiches take four to eight minutes to cook.

In Marla and Jeff Oppenheim's case, they made grilled cheese sandwiches.

After nearly 30 years in information technology, Jeff was laid off in December 2010. When his job search turned up empty, he and his wife decided to take a risk. In May, they launched a gourmet grilled cheese food business named JAM's (an acronym for Jeff and Marla's) Place.

Out of their red 8-foot by 12-foot trailer, the Longmont couple sell fresh, made-to-order grilled cheese sandwiches, as well as homemade soups and cheesecake, at breweries along the Front Range.

The lifestyle change suits Jeff, who is glad to be working for himself.

"You're doing it for yourself and your family," said Jeff, 53. "You're not doing it for your boss."

Jeff Oppenheim, left, and his wife, Marla, are co-owners of JAM's Place, a food trailer they launched in May. The couple sell gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches at several breweries along the Front Range.
(
Matthew Jonas
)

JAM's Place makes regular stops at Echo Brewing Company in Frederick, City Star Brewing in Berthoud and Big Choice Brewing in Broomfield. From 4:30 p.m. to close on Thursdays, the food trailer is at Longmont's Left Hand Brewing Company, 1265 Boston Ave.

Freshness and local ingredients play an important role in creating a sandwich deemed "gourmet," the couple said. Most of the Oppenheim's cheeses come from Longmont's Cheese Importers.

Grilled cheese tends to be forgiving, Jeff said, so eclectic combos can create powerful flavors. Case in point: the Nutty Buddy, a seasonal sandwich with goat cheese and Nutella. A summer sandwich called the Hawaiian Delight -- it has toasted coconut, pineapple and brie -- also proved to be a hit with customers.

Jeff is also a fan of mixing cheeses. A popular sandwich, the Draconian, melts three types of cheeses with onions, green chilies, tomatoes and wasabi aioli. Customers often just ask for "the spicy one." It's named after Marla's 28-year-old son, Scott, whose penchant for medieval games earned him the nickname Draco.

A mutual passion for cooking and good food is part of what brought Marla and Jeff together. The couple met online five years ago and have been married about a year and a half.

Now, they run the business together, though Marla still works for a private education company. Marla handles marketing and administrative work, and Jeff mans the grill

"Jeff does most of the cooking," said Marla, 51. "He's the grill master."

While it's a fun gig, it's also a ton of work, the Oppenheims point out. They rent space at a commissary, where they prepare most of their food. One day, they said, they'd like to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant and operate their trailer from there. Sure, that means more work, but the couple said they're ready for it.

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